Americans United - U.S. House of Representativeshttps://www.au.org/tags/us-house-of-representatives
enInappropriate Appropriations: U.S. House Approves Spending Bill Limiting Reproductive Rights While Boosting School Vouchers And Pulpit Politickinghttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/inappropriate-appropriations-us-house-approves-spending-bill-limiting
<a href="/about/people/simon-brown">Simon Brown</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>The U.S. House of Representatives passed an important appropriations bill (<a href="https://www.congress.gov/114/bills/hr5485/BILLS-114hr5485rh.pdf">H.R. 5485</a>) yesterday that will help fund the federal government for the next year. Tucked into this legislation are three troubling provisions that would weaken church-state separation and harm true religious liberty.</p>
<p><img alt="" src="/files/Capitol%20Dome.jpg" style="width: 700px; height: 467px;" /></p>
<p><em>Some members of Congress are working to limit true religious freedom.</em></p>
<ul><li><strong>Discrimination Against Women in the Name of Religion</strong>: In 2014, the District of Columbia adopted a law called the “<a href="http://lims.dccouncil.us/Download/31673/B20-0790-CommitteeReport1.pdf">Reproductive Non-Discrimination Amendment Act</a>.” This measure prohibits discrimination against employees and their dependents based on their reproductive choices – including their decision to use birth control. Since Congress has control over the purse of the District of Columbia, it has the power to prevent it from spending money on its own programs. An amendment offered by Rep. Gary Palmer (R-Al.) would prohibit the District from using funds to enforce this law—making the law null and void. Americans United <a href="http://www.au.org/files/2016-06-22%20-%20Oppose%20Palmer%20Amendment%20-%20FINAL.pdf">strongly opposed</a> this <a href="http://amendments-rules.house.gov/amendments/PalmerRHNDA262116115905595.pdf">amendment</a>, but it passed nonetheless.</li>
</ul><ul><li><strong>The DC Private School Voucher Program</strong>: More than 10 years ago Congress imposed a federally funded private school voucher on the people of the District of Columbia. That program was set to expire this year, but this appropriations bill (which is supposed to fund programs not create them) would extend the program another five years. It is bad enough that the program, which gives qualifying students between $8,000 and $12,000 in taxpayer dollars annually to attend a private school, funds predominately religious schools. But the program also has <a href="http://au.org/church-state/december-2015-church-state/featured/failed-experiment">serious oversight and quality control problems</a>, and <a href="https://www.au.org/files/NCPE%20Debunking%20Myths%20About%20the%20DC%20Voucher%20Program%202015%20Update%20Final_0.pdf?_ga=1.79034771.663854720.1446218312">doesn’t improve academic achievement</a>. But facts haven’t gotten in the way of those pushing for the bill to be reauthorized.</li>
</ul><p>Americans United has been a leader in the fight to oppose this program since its inception. You can read the<a href="http://www.au.org/files/2016-06-16%20NCPE%20DC%20Voucher%20House%20Floor%20FSGG%20Letter%20-%20FINAL.pdf"> letter</a> we joined with our allies to oppose this provision</p>
<ul><li><strong>Partisan Politicking</strong>: The bill also contains a provision that will make it easier for houses of worship to get away with pulpit politicking. <a href="http://au.org/church-state/june-2016-church-state/featured/the-persistence-of-pulpit-politicking">Since 1954</a>, churches and other 501(c)(3) non-profits have been prohibited from telling people how to vote when it comes to candidates. If a church—like every other secular 501(c)(3) non-profit—does decide to endorse a candidate, it risks losing its tax exemption. Over the years, however, the IRS has failed to vigorously enforce this provision. That is in part thanks to a lawsuit challenging agency rules about which official is supposed to sign off on church audits. A provision in H.R. 5485 would limit the ability to authorize these audits to only the IRS Commissioner. Limiting it to one person—the person in charge of the entire IRS no less—would make enforcement of the restriction even more unlikely.</li>
</ul><p>Americans United launched <a href="http://projectfairplay.squarespace.com/#who-we-are">Project Fair Play</a> in 1996 to support enforcement of the no-politicking rule. Since that time, we’ve reported more than 100 churches to the IRS because they endorsed or opposed candidates. We don’t want to see churches become cogs in partisan political machines, which is why we believe the agency should strictly enforce this rule. If you agree that the IRS should police churches that can’t stay out of politics, <a href="http://projectfairplay.squarespace.com/petition">please sign our petition</a>. </p>
<p>As you can see, there are quite a few problems with a bill that is mainly intended to keep the government running. We can only hope that these provisions are removed as the bill makes its way through the Senate. But only time will tell. In the meantime, you can learn more about our other work <a href="http://au.org/media/press-releases/aclu-americans-united-challenge-lawsuit-attempting-to-circumvent-colorado">opposing vouchers</a> and <a href="http://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/doing-damage-committee-says-irs-failure-to-update-church-audit-procedures">pulpit politicking</a>, and <a href="http://www.protectthyneighbor.org/">in support of reproductive rights</a>. </p>
</div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/vouchers">Vouchers</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/religious-groups-involvement-in-candidate-elections">Religious Groups’ Involvement in Candidate Elections</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/reproductive-health-conscience-clauses-for-religious-objectors">Reproductive Health &amp; Conscience Clauses for Religious Objectors</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/us-house-of-representatives">U.S. House of Representatives</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/rep-gary-palmer">Rep. Gary Palmer</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/hr-5485">HR 5485</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/irs">IRS</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/project-fair-play">Project Fair Play</a></span></div></div>Fri, 08 Jul 2016 18:11:31 +0000Simon Brown12078 at https://www.au.orghttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/inappropriate-appropriations-us-house-approves-spending-bill-limiting#commentsReason To The Rescue: Members of Congress, Scholars and Faith Leaders Voice Opposition To Coercive Sectarian Prayer Before Local Board Meetingshttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/reason-to-the-rescue-members-of-congress-scholars-and-faith-leaders-voice
<a href="/about/people/simon-brown">Simon Brown</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-callout field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">A group of 40 scholars of law and religion said that just because Congress has long opened meetings with prayers doesn’t mean the framers of the Constitution intended government meetings to be used for religious coercion.</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>Last week we told you about <a href="https://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/doj-disappointment-obama-administration-wants-to-help-religious-right-in?__utma=1.791044345.1360361050.1380050512.1380120887.307&amp;__utmb=1.2.10.1380120887&amp;__utmc=1&amp;__utmx=-&amp;__utmz=1.1379517006.296.5.utmcsr=au.org|utmccn=%28referral%29|utmcmd=referral|utmcct=/search/site/zanesville&amp;__utmv=-&amp;__utmk=46389415">our disappointment that the Obama administration plans to side with the Religious Right</a> in Americans United’s upcoming U.S. Supreme Court case involving coercive prayer before local board meetings. Today, we’re pleased to share that a number of high-profile groups are on our side in this important matter – including some members of Congress, scholars and members of the faith community.</p><p>This week was the deadline for allies of Americans United to file amicus briefs with the Supreme Court in <em>Town of Greece v. Galloway</em>. Fortunately we’ve got friends in high places, and many of them stepped up to explain why the court should rule that overwhelmingly Christian prayer offered before local government meetings is unconstitutional.</p><p>It’s a shame that the Obama administration isn’t with Americans United, but it’s reassuring to know that not everyone in the federal government shares the administration’s interpretation of the Constitution.</p><p>Twelve members of the U.S. House of Representatives <a href="/files/Members%20of%20Cong.pdf">signed onto a brief</a> arguing that local board meetings are fundamentally different from sessions of Congress, which begin with prayers.</p><p>“The Greece Town Board is not a purely legislative body, however, and its citizens do not observe its proceedings in a purely passive capacity,” the brief argued. “Rather, the Board makes quasi-adjudicatory decisions regarding the property rights of individual citizens appearing before it (<em>e.g</em>., by granting or denying business licenses and zoning permits) and the citizens advocate their views directly to the Board on legislative issues. Private citizens are therefore active participants in Board meetings.”</p><p>(The 12 signers are Reps. Jerrold Nadler of New York, John Conyers of Michigan, Bobby Scott of Virginia, Ted Deutch of Florida, George Miller of California, Alcee Hastings of Florida, Robert Andrews of New Jersey, Michael Honda of California, Diana DeGette of Colorado, Mark Takano of California, Keith Ellison of Minnesota and Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton of Washington, D.C.).</p><p>Our opponents frequently cite historical precedent as a reason to allow sectarian prayers to open government meetings. In fact, the Department of Justice justified its support for the Greece Board’s prayer practice with that reasoning, insisting, “Throughout its history, and dating back to the first session of the Continental Congress in 1774, the United States Congress has appointed chaplains to open each legislative day with a prayer.”</p><p>But a group of 40 scholars of law and religion <a href="/files/Legal%20Historians.pdf">said in their brief</a> that just because Congress has long opened meetings with prayers doesn’t mean the framers of the Constitution intended government meetings to be used for religious coercion.</p><p>“Many Founders, including [Thomas] Jefferson and [James] Madison, steadfastly opposed any official government religious proclamations directed to the public,” the brief reads. “Even those Framers, like [George] Washington, who accepted some form of government religious speech believed that it should never have the purpose or effect of endorsing a sectarian position or excluding members of the political community based on their religious beliefs, because such outcomes were also inconsistent with individual rights of conscience.” </p><p>We’ve always said that the framers supported church-state separation, but it’s good for the high court to hear that (again) from a large group of respected scholars.</p><p>We’ve also said that this case is about protecting religious minorities as well as non-believers from feeling unwelcome by their own local governments. Fortunately <a href="/files/Unitarian%20Universalist%20Ass%27n.pdf">a group of minority faith leaders agrees with us</a>. A brief signed by the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations, Union for Reform Judaism, Muslim Advocates, Hindu American Foundation, National Council of Jewish Women, Central Conference of American Rabbis, Women of Reform Judaism, Blue Mountain Lotus Society and Rabbis Simeon Kolko, warned of dire consequences for minorities if the town of Greece wins this case.</p><p>“[C]itizens who wish to participate in their local governments could be forced to accede to overtly sectarian prayers that are not a part of their own faith tradition,” the groups assert. “Nothing would prevent local governments across the country from sponsoring prayers that ostracize religious minorities. It would be acceptable for local governments to invite prayer givers to offer prayers invoking specific Christian names for God, asking for forgiveness for sins, and proselytizing. Attendees could be asked to stand and participate in the religious ceremony by bowing their heads and saying ‘amen.’ But members of minority religious faiths should not be forced to participate in another faith’s religious observance just to attend a local-government meeting.”</p><p>In all there were 13 briefs in our favor, and we’re grateful for this support. Now it’s just a matter of the Supreme Court not only reading these wise words submitted on our behalf, but actually taking them to heart.</p></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/prayer-at-government-events-and-legislative-meetings">Prayer at Government Events and Legislative Meetings</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/greece-town-board">Greece Town Board</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/town-of-greece-v-galloway">Town of Greece v. Galloway</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/us-supreme-court-0">U.S. Supreme Court</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/us-house-of-representatives">U.S. House of Representatives</a></span></div></div>Wed, 25 Sep 2013 17:38:09 +0000Simon Brown8984 at https://www.au.orghttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/reason-to-the-rescue-members-of-congress-scholars-and-faith-leaders-voice#commentsU.S. House Approves Bill Authorizing Disaster Aid To Houses Of Worshiphttps://www.au.org/church-state/march-2013-church-state/people-events/us-house-approves-bill-authorizing-disaster-aid
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>The House of Representatives voted Feb. 13 to allow houses of worship to seek funding for repairs and reconstruction through a federal program designed to help the victims of Hurricane Sandy.</p><p>The storm caused massive damage to several East Coast states in late October. Many homes were destroyed, and Congress set to work on an aid package to help those in need.</p><p>Congress originally passed the $51 billion aid package without including assistance to houses of worship. But the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, the American Jewish Committee and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops lobbied Congress to change the rules and allow houses of worship to apply for direct support.</p><p>Subsequently, U.S. Reps. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) and Grace Meng (D-N.Y.) introduced legislation to change regulations promulgated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which has traditionally not awarded grants for repair of buildings used primarily for worship.</p><p>Americans United organized opposition to HR 592. AU pointed out that houses of worship were not being singled out for unfair treatment. In fact, many secular non-profits also did not receive government aid. (In addition, many affected religious institutions were eligible to receive low-interest Small Business Administration loans.)</p><p>“A fundamental rule of American life is that congregants, not the taxpayers, pay for the construction and repair of houses of worship,” said Americans United Executive Director Barry W. Lynn in a media statement. “We must not let a storm sweep away the wall of separation between church and state.”</p><p>The Anti-Defamation League, the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, the Interfaith Alliance, the Secular Coalition for America, the American Civil Liberties Union and the Hindu American Foundation all agreed with AU’s view.</p><p>The House tally, however, was lopsided. Members voted 354-72 to make the change and allow houses of worship to apply for the aid.</p><p>During debate on the House floor, U.S. Reps. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) and Bobby Scott (D-Va.) rose to defend church-state separation.</p><p>The bill now goes to the Senate.</p></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-cs-department field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">People &amp; Events</div></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/constructing-and-refurbishing-buildings-used-religious-activities">Constructing and Refurbishing Buildings Used for Religious Activities</a></span></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-cs-issue field-type-node-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Magazine Issue:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><article id="node-8088" class="node node-church-state-issue clearfix">
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<h2><a href="/church-state/march-2013-church-state">
The <span class="cs-month field">March</span> <span class="cs-year field"><span class="date-display-single">2013</span></span> issue of <em>Church &amp; State</em>
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<h4>From Symposia At The National Constitution Center In Philadelphia To First Amendment Day Celebrations In Texas, AU&#039;s Chapter Network Has Exciting Plans</h4> </div>
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<h3 class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/march-2013-church-state/featured/betsy-pursell">Betsy Pursell </a></h3>
<h4>Named Development Director At Americans United</h4> </div>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/march-2013-church-state/people-events/birth-control-mandate-is-not-a-violation-of">Birth Control Mandate Is Not A Violation Of Religious Liberty, AU Tells Court</a></span> </div></li>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/march-2013-church-state/people-events/appeals-court-bars-priestly-blessing-at-school">Appeals Court Bars ‘Priestly Blessing’ At School Graduation</a></span> </div></li>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/march-2013-church-state/people-events/calif-town-moves-to-settle-controversy-over">Calif. Town Moves To Settle Controversy Over Mountaintop Cross</a></span> </div></li>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/march-2013-church-state/people-events/americans-united-named-human-rights-hero-by">Americans United Named ‘Human Rights Hero’ By Lawyers’ Magazine </a></span> </div></li>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/march-2013-church-state/people-events/texas-bible-classes-contain-sectarian-content-new">Texas Bible Classes Contain Sectarian Content, New Report Says</a></span> </div></li>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/march-2013-church-state/au-bulletin/majority-leader-considers-school-voucher-push">Majority Leader Considers School Voucher Push</a></span> </div></li>
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</div></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/fema">FEMA</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/us-house-of-representatives">U.S. House of Representatives</a></span></div></div>Fri, 01 Mar 2013 05:01:00 +0000Timothy Ritz8110 at https://www.au.orghttps://www.au.org/church-state/march-2013-church-state/people-events/us-house-approves-bill-authorizing-disaster-aid#commentsIndecent Proposal: Another ‘Religious Supremacy’ Amendment Surfaces In The U.S. House https://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/indecent-proposal-another-religious-supremacy-amendment-surfaces-in-the-us
<a href="/about/people/simon-brown">Simon Brown</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-callout field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">It is deeply disturbing that a government body that has sworn to uphold the U.S. Constitution would consider a resolution that disrespects a principle that comes straight from the First Amendment.</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>As part of a continuing effort to use religion as a way of excluding many Americans, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives recently proposed a resolution that “reaffirms the importance of religion in the lives of United States citizens.”</p><p>Introduced Sept. 19 by Rep. Stephen Fincher (R-Tenn.), the <a href="http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c112:H.RES.789:">resolution includes a number of statements that are offensive</a> to anyone who supports church-state separation or isn’t Christian.</p><p>The resolution says that Judeo-Christian heritage “has played a strong role in the development of the United States and in the lives of many of the Nation’s citizens” and that the House “rejects efforts to remove evidence of Judeo-Christian heritage and references to God from public structures and resources.”</p><p>A long list of “evidence” is also offered to support the claim that religion is important to people in the U.S.</p><p>One claim is that the “first act of Congress in 1774 was a prayer.” That is pretty meaningless because that wasn’t the U.S. Congress. Not only did that First Continental Congress <a href="http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/related/congress.htm">meet for just a few weeks</a>, it didn’t include representatives of all 13 colonies. America hadn’t even declared independence yet from Britain, so to say the Congress in 1774 set the precedent for the United States is just not accurate.</p><p>Another meaningless claim intended to support the resolution is that the Bible is the best-selling book of all time. So what? The Bible has been available for centuries and is sold worldwide. That doesn’t prove anything about the importance of religion to people in the United States.</p><p>A third claim made in the resolution references <a href="http://religions.pewforum.org/reports">a 2007 study by the Pew Forum on Religion &amp; Public</a> life that found 92 percent of U.S. citizens believe in God and 78.4 percent identified as Christian. Here, the House is basically saying, “If you don’t believe in God, get out” and “If you aren’t Christian, you should probably leave, too.”</p><p>Those who would support this resolution seemingly have no issue with excluding eight percent of the population (though really it’s 21.6 percent), so let’s <a href="http://www.census.gov/population/www/popclockus.html">put that 8 percent number in context</a>. It may not seem like a lot of people, but that’s a little over 25 million Americans. Should the U.S. government be passing resolutions that alienate such a large number of people?</p><p><a href="http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/09/25/atheists-condemn-house-resolution-to-reaffirm-importance-of-religion/?utm_source=Raw+Story+Daily+Update&amp;utm_campaign=c3cdce11e4-9_26_129_26_2012&amp;utm_medium=email">Atheist groups certainly don’t think so.</a></p><p> “This [resolution] only serves to divide rather than unite Americans,” said Edwina Rogers, executive director of the Secular Coalition for America, according to <em>The Raw Story</em>. “This resolution insinuates that because Christianity is the majority religion in the United States, the religion and its followers should be privileged by our government, but this logic is problematic – our Constitution is secular precisely to protect all Americans regardless of their religious beliefs or lack of religious beliefs.”</p><p>No one really disputes the importance of religion in American life, so what’s the point of this resolution? Clearly, some in the House not only want to send a message that non-Christians aren’t favored, but also to express their desire to fight church-state separation.</p><p>It is deeply disturbing that a government body that has sworn to uphold the U.S. Constitution would consider a resolution that disrespects a principle that comes straight from the First Amendment. This isn’t about preserving “the freedom to exercise religious beliefs in the United States,” as the resolution says, because nobody is trying to stop people from expressing their beliefs.</p><p>Instead, it’s all part of an <a href="http://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/misplaced-trust-house-set-to-vote-on-%E2%80%98in-god-we-trust%E2%80%99-resolution">ongoing attempt by the Religious Right and its allies to force their ideas on others</a>.</p><p>This resolution may be non-binding, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t take it seriously. There are some in our government who are happy to ignore the parts of the Constitution that they simply don’t like, and they will gladly place restrictions on people who don’t think the way they do.</p><p>We must demand that Congress stop wasting its time on needless and exclusionary resolutions that serve no purpose other than to bully those who don’t agree with them. Not one member of Congress was elected to act this way, and it’s time they are reminded of that.</p></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/prayer-at-government-events-and-legislative-meetings">Prayer at Government Events and Legislative Meetings</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/government-sponsored-religious-displays">Government-Sponsored Religious Displays</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/descriptions-and-activities-religious-right-groups">Descriptions and Activities of Religious Right Groups</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/rep-stephen-fincher">Rep. Stephen Fincher</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/us-house-of-representatives">U.S. House of Representatives</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/first-continental-congress">First Continental Congress</a></span></div></div>Fri, 28 Sep 2012 16:12:31 +0000Simon Brown7574 at https://www.au.orghttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/indecent-proposal-another-religious-supremacy-amendment-surfaces-in-the-us#comments